Rebel Rouser: South Hagerstown enjoys muddy win

November 2, 2018

SHEPHERDSTOWN -- The fast-paced and catchy South Hagerstown High School fight song has been on the lips of many Washington County people this football season, since the Rebels are at the edge of the Maryland playoff postseason.

With a 7-2 record and only a game left against rival North Hagerstown, the Rebels have been singing, "Are you from South High?" with regularity this 2018 season.

Nothing that happened in the mud-filled, 40-13, Rebel victory over Jefferson dampened the emotions of the celebratory season.

A persistent rain made the already damaged field even more of a muddy mess. But South High seemed to embrace the sticky conditions, as it followed the ground-hugging lead of running back Jayswah Sanon.

Sanon had 19 carries against the sometimes brittle Jefferson defense. He racked up three touchdowns and 268 yards against a Cougar team that had its record fall to 1-8 with only a season-closing home game against winless Washington (0-9) left.

Sanon had runs of 34, 82, 34 and 40 yards in amassing his yardage total.

After Jefferson's Francis Diaz recovered a Rebel fumble, and the Cougars quickly scored to get the game tied, South High's Larry Barnes fielded the ensuing kickoff and got loose through the middle of Jefferson's coverage unit. Barnes didn't stop running until he was in the end zone after his 76-yard bolt through the Cougars.

Once they were back in front, the Rebels were well on their way. South trotted off the field at halftime with a 26-6 lead.

South High outgunned the Cougars, 14-7, in the second half, finishing the night's scoring with Eric McDonald's 36-yard scoring run.

Jefferson could point to Aaron Gravelle's 149 ground yards on 27 carries as its most positive statistic. Gravelle had one of the Cougars' touchdowns as well.

But it was South High that best-survived the wet and worsening conditions.

The Rebels didn't need to sing the lyric, "Anywhere below the Mason-Dixon Line" -- the brightly-lit scoreboard said enough about their 27-point victory.